I'm posting this article from today's 'Guardian'. It is about the stepdaughter of a friend of mine. If you're in London on Saturday - go see the entertainment!!!
A good head for heights
When Vicky Malin decided she wanted to be an acrobat, nothing got in her way - not even her cerebral palsy. Julie Bindel meets her Monday August 27, 2007The Guardian
Vicky Malin's speciality is aerial acrobatics. She begins on a mat and, using a body harness suspended from the ceiling, she emerges cocoon-like into the air, portraying the emotions of being born and "flying" into life, the joys of discovering the world. Her ambition is to be a fully fledged trapeze artist, and she is determined to let nothing stop her - including the fact that she has cerebral palsy.
On Saturday, Malin, 23, will perform in Trafalgar Square as part of Liberty, London's disability rights festival, which gives a platform to artists and entertainers who are often vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice in the mainstream entertainment world. The emphasis is on a high standard of performance. "With my act, people might see things they have never seen before," says Malin. "I want to really test my skills."
Article continues
On stage with Albert & Friends Instant Circus (A&F), Malin will be working alongside people taking part in activities such as unicycling, tightrope walking, juggling, hula-hoop and diabolo (a juggling prop consisting of a spool that is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks, one held in each hand).
Malin's speciality is doing acrobatics with a rope, which supports her. "It's a wonderful feeling," she says. "My mum says to me, 'I always knew you would end up doing something like this,' because when she took me to see Peter Pan as a child, I told her I wanted to fly."
Born in West Sussex, Malin attended an inclusive school, and was encouraged from an early age to join the drama and musical productions. "I was really lucky. I had teachers who pushed me to explore my creativity. For them, my disability was not, nor should have been, an obstacle."
On leaving university, Malin became a learning support assistant in schools before going to Thailand to volunteer in an orphanage. It was there, while working with a nine-year-old girl who also had cerebral palsy, that she realised she was not fulfilling her potential. "I noticed that people were seriously underestimating her abilities, so I began to work with her more intensively, helping her become more mobile, and realised that I had been underestimating my potential, too." While in Thailand, Malin found out about a course in dance for disabled people, run by the CandoCo company, some of whose dancers are disabled. "It was then that I admitted to myself that I really wanted to do dance and performance, and thought, why not?"
Malin decided to pursue the performing arts as a career. She learned to play the guitar to strengthen her arms, and joined a gym. "It was very hard work; I had to achieve peak physical fitness to develop the right-hand side of my body, since my cerebral palsy only affects that side."
As well as performing, Malin is involved in drama, dance and music workshops with children and young adults, and is now planning to learn trapeze. Does she identify herself as a disabled artist? "Yes, but I am far more than that. First and foremost, I want to entertain people with my performance, whether they are disabled or able-bodied."
When she connected with Albert & Friends - a dance group that teaches performance art to young people, no matter what their circumstances or the limits of their physical abilities - Malin learned a whole new set of skills. "The companies I work with focus on what performers can do, rather than what they can't," she says, and the results can be surprising: last year, 55 members of Albert & Friends achieved a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the most people on stilts in an egg-and-spoon race.
When we met, Malin had just returned from Edinburgh, where Albert & Friends was well received. What did she see at the festival? "I was tempted to go and see the Crippendales," she laughs, referring to the group of toned, young male strippers with various disabilities. Does she ever worry about disabled artists feeding into able-bodied people's prejudices? "Some might assume their act is a bit of a freak show, but I think it can be just good fun."
Any self-consciousness Malin may have had in the past as a result of attitudes to her disability has disappeared, and the Liberty festival is a landmark event for her - one she's very much looking forward to. "This is an unbelievable platform to show off my work," she says. "People will actually be stopping and watching me perform. That is exactly what I want from my work - to entertain."
What ambition does Malin have for the future? Would she like to be talent-spotted at the festival? "Oh yes," she says, without hesitation. "I would love to be up there on a tightrope, and learn juggling. I don't mean to scare my mum, but I can't wait"
· Liberty: London's Disability Rights Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday from 1-6pm. No admission charge. Details: london.gov.uk
A good head for heights
When Vicky Malin decided she wanted to be an acrobat, nothing got in her way - not even her cerebral palsy. Julie Bindel meets her Monday August 27, 2007The Guardian
Vicky Malin's speciality is aerial acrobatics. She begins on a mat and, using a body harness suspended from the ceiling, she emerges cocoon-like into the air, portraying the emotions of being born and "flying" into life, the joys of discovering the world. Her ambition is to be a fully fledged trapeze artist, and she is determined to let nothing stop her - including the fact that she has cerebral palsy.
On Saturday, Malin, 23, will perform in Trafalgar Square as part of Liberty, London's disability rights festival, which gives a platform to artists and entertainers who are often vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice in the mainstream entertainment world. The emphasis is on a high standard of performance. "With my act, people might see things they have never seen before," says Malin. "I want to really test my skills."
Article continues
On stage with Albert & Friends Instant Circus (A&F), Malin will be working alongside people taking part in activities such as unicycling, tightrope walking, juggling, hula-hoop and diabolo (a juggling prop consisting of a spool that is whirled and tossed on a string tied to two sticks, one held in each hand).
Malin's speciality is doing acrobatics with a rope, which supports her. "It's a wonderful feeling," she says. "My mum says to me, 'I always knew you would end up doing something like this,' because when she took me to see Peter Pan as a child, I told her I wanted to fly."
Born in West Sussex, Malin attended an inclusive school, and was encouraged from an early age to join the drama and musical productions. "I was really lucky. I had teachers who pushed me to explore my creativity. For them, my disability was not, nor should have been, an obstacle."
On leaving university, Malin became a learning support assistant in schools before going to Thailand to volunteer in an orphanage. It was there, while working with a nine-year-old girl who also had cerebral palsy, that she realised she was not fulfilling her potential. "I noticed that people were seriously underestimating her abilities, so I began to work with her more intensively, helping her become more mobile, and realised that I had been underestimating my potential, too." While in Thailand, Malin found out about a course in dance for disabled people, run by the CandoCo company, some of whose dancers are disabled. "It was then that I admitted to myself that I really wanted to do dance and performance, and thought, why not?"
Malin decided to pursue the performing arts as a career. She learned to play the guitar to strengthen her arms, and joined a gym. "It was very hard work; I had to achieve peak physical fitness to develop the right-hand side of my body, since my cerebral palsy only affects that side."
As well as performing, Malin is involved in drama, dance and music workshops with children and young adults, and is now planning to learn trapeze. Does she identify herself as a disabled artist? "Yes, but I am far more than that. First and foremost, I want to entertain people with my performance, whether they are disabled or able-bodied."
When she connected with Albert & Friends - a dance group that teaches performance art to young people, no matter what their circumstances or the limits of their physical abilities - Malin learned a whole new set of skills. "The companies I work with focus on what performers can do, rather than what they can't," she says, and the results can be surprising: last year, 55 members of Albert & Friends achieved a Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the most people on stilts in an egg-and-spoon race.
When we met, Malin had just returned from Edinburgh, where Albert & Friends was well received. What did she see at the festival? "I was tempted to go and see the Crippendales," she laughs, referring to the group of toned, young male strippers with various disabilities. Does she ever worry about disabled artists feeding into able-bodied people's prejudices? "Some might assume their act is a bit of a freak show, but I think it can be just good fun."
Any self-consciousness Malin may have had in the past as a result of attitudes to her disability has disappeared, and the Liberty festival is a landmark event for her - one she's very much looking forward to. "This is an unbelievable platform to show off my work," she says. "People will actually be stopping and watching me perform. That is exactly what I want from my work - to entertain."
What ambition does Malin have for the future? Would she like to be talent-spotted at the festival? "Oh yes," she says, without hesitation. "I would love to be up there on a tightrope, and learn juggling. I don't mean to scare my mum, but I can't wait"
· Liberty: London's Disability Rights Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday from 1-6pm. No admission charge. Details: london.gov.uk
2 comments:
Great note Steve...she really is a great entertainer but then we are a little biased.Hope to see you at Trafalgar Square.
Cheers John & Trish Malin
As the proud "Wicked Step Mother" - I have to encourage all London readers to see Vicky in action - she is so inspirational!
Trish
.. And looking forward to sharing the experience with Steve - meeting twice in one year after 20 years of cyber and snail-mail friendship = brilliant!
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